In certain settings, it may be desirable that a locking assembly provide a visual indication of the status of the assembly in order to enable a user to quickly determine whether the door is locked or unlocked. While mortise locksets include various features which facilitate the use of status indicators, the unique construction of cylindrical locksets has presented obstacles to providing a status indicator for such locksets. For example, certain mortise locksets allow for a direct connection between the deadbolt turn piece and the status indicator. In contrast, the mechanisms which provide the locking functionality in cylindrical locksets are often isolated from the visible portions of the assembly by a variety of elements, such as spring cages, mounting plates, and roses or escutcheons. These elements obstruct the path between the location at which the status of the locking assembly can be sensed and the location at which the status indicator would be mounted.
The above-noted difficulties are often compounded when it is desired to provide the status-indicator on the secured or inner side of the door. In many cylindrical locksets, the element which prevents the outside handle from operating the lockset is located near the unsecured or outer side of the door. This may result in an increased number of elements which obstruct the path between the location where the status of the lockset can be sensed and the location where the status is intended to be displayed, thereby further hindering the transmission of the lock status from the sensing location to the display location.
For these reasons among others, while certain conventional mortise locksets include visual status indicators, many current cylindrical locksets do not. Instead, certain current cylindrical lock assemblies include an arrow and the word “lock” (e.g., on the inner lock cylinder, inner lock handle, and/or inner lock rose) to indicate which way the key must be rotated to lock the lockset. In order to determine the status of the lockset, the user must approach the door, insert the key, and attempt to rotate the key in the locking direction. This is not only inconvenient, but can also put the user in danger, for example in an emergency situation where an armed intruder may be just outside the door.
Additionally, while certain current cylindrical locksets may include status indicators, many of these locksets are not able to be installed in a standard cylindrical door preparation. Instead, these locksets require additional preparation of the door, such as removing door material to form additional space. This process is not only time-consuming, but may be infeasible for certain types of doors, such as metal doors. Accordingly, there remains a need for further improvements in this technological field.